The Capitol

From reading the design access statements (recommend taking a look, there's plenty of visuals and maps) it looks like its taking over the entire eastern end of the centre! Looks like they'll be kicking out Boots, Nero's and Flamingos (and whatever else is still up that end of the centre) but hope they're able to move into some of the remaining units down the western end to fill it out.

Boots hasn't been in the Capitol for some time. Flamingos only ever had a short term lease, and I believe Nero's wants out anyway.

One of the Queen Street facing units outside of the Gravity Max area is earmarked for night time access to The Gym/Car Park and I think another is going to be a Black Sheep Coffee. I'm not sure that leaves many empty units (if any at all) as opposite is mainly occupied by Tesco.

Yeah my bad, not sure how I missed boots leaving.

Never thought I'd see the day that the Capitol Centre was (nearly?) fully let out. Definitely seeing a major transformation of the Eastern end of Queen St, very exciting! I believe work has started on that new pub on Churchill way too so the area has definitely found its feet since retail shifted towards St Davids 2 and the Hayes.

This is obviously a big get for the centre's owners (Landsec?) but it's a real pity that the horrible pomo frontage is being retained. We lost so many fine 19th and 20th century buildings to this montrosity although, to be fair, many had been demolished some years before the centre was built.

I have very fond memories of the Capitol Cinema, Cory Hall, Caricature Puppet Theatre and New Continental Restaraunt Complex, all of which gave way to this unsuccesful and ugly shopping mall.

I'd love to see Virgin Megastore in the UK again, I used to love that being in the shopping centre.

They work well in the UAE, there are several in Dubai with one in most of the major malls.

I'd love to see Virgin Megastore in the UK again, I used to love that being in the shopping centre.

They work well in the UAE, there are several in Dubai with one in most of the major malls.

I'd say there's next to no chance of that happening. There's so little demand for such a store these days.

An article on Gravity Max in WalesOnline has a CGI of the Queen Street entrance.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/major-plans-revealed-transform-shopping-29216125

Sadly the terrible original exterior remains at large!

I'd love to see Virgin Megastore in the UK again, I used to love that being in the shopping centre.

They work well in the UAE, there are several in Dubai with one in most of the major malls.

I'd say there's next to no chance of that happening. There's so little demand for such a store these days.

Funny how consumer demand differs in different countries. It must be the difference in online purchasing habits between both countries and there being more of a mall culture over there.

The Capitol have put in planning to convert a large area of the basement, the former Index, into a music venue, The Capitol Arena, a 950 capacity concert venue. This could work really well as there is a shortage of smaller venues and they cite St. David's Hall long term closure as an issue.

Unsure if this means that the previous plans for a leisure complex have fallen through, but there has been no visible movement on this.

https://www.cardiffidoxcloud.wales/publicaccess/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=T1YMS5ECGGO00

this is the old Index catalogue shop in the basement. It had been used as an arts/event space up until a year or so ago by SHIFT Cardiff. I don't think this was part of the Gravity MAX leisure development on the ground and 1st floors.

Seems like e reasonable use of the space, but the brochure looks like it was generated by AI so im a little sceptical as to whether it will actually happen.

I 'm left wondering if the old cinema would make a better live musing venue though?

The Capitol Arena is an interesting concept, because it's proposed it won't just be a live music venue, but also a more multipurpose community space, hosting things like farmers markets and conventions, jobs fairs etc.

It seems to have something to do with the Canal Quarter venues (Pulse, Dock Feeder, Cardiff Arms etc). Obviously Pulse is already a tenant of the Capitol.

It's a sensible use of the space I suppose but with a capacity roughly the same as Tramshed and the SU Great Hall I'm not sure how much of a gap in the market there is. Maybe it couls house some of the dross tribute bands that are clogging the New Theatre's arteries following the SDH closure.